Analyzing a Prompt

To effectively respond to a prompt, you must first understand it. Try using the STRAP questions to analyze a prompt:
Subject: What topic should I write about?
Type: What form of writing should I create?
Role: What position should I assume as the writer?
Audience: Who is the intended reader?
Purpose: What is the goal of my writing?

Different Types of Writing Test Prompts Ask for Different Information:
Narrative prompts ask you to write in story form, often about a personal experience.
An expository prompt asks you to write an explanation.
A persuasive prompt asks you to state an opinion and defend it.
A response to literature prompt asks you to write about a specific aspect of a story, poem, novel, or nonfiction selection.

From:
http://www.greatsource.com/iwrite/students/s_testprep.html#Anchor-Analyzing-47857